Tactics and politics
by Eade-Hewitt
Summary: Hermione Granger is sharper than she looks. So is Draco Malfoy. In Madame Malkin's shop, the two challange the other, and both pass. From there, a change is happening
1. Second-name basis

**Second-Name basis**

Hermione stood outside Madame Malkin's shop, head high. She wasn't the type to be nervous while coming into a _clothes shop_. She had always disrespected the drama-lovers that shook while doing the slightest things. Not her. She _oozed_ confidence.

The only reason Hermione Granger was _waiting outside_, was that the two measuring stools were full. It would be sheer stupidity to step in, only to wait for her measuring where the customers, her future peers, can see her. No, Hermione Granger did analysis secretly. And she was already searching for possible alliances and enemies for her first year in Hogwarts.

* * *

HERMIONE'S ANALYSIS #1

_The black-haired boy has obviously grown in the muggle world, just like me. He is clueless as he is talking to the second boy. He seems quite uncomfortable, though. Probably holding back a secret, something that would grant him a different kind of attention. He seems quite uncomfortable with his fringe._

_The white-haired boy is quite obviously a pureblood. The quality of clothes, the high-and-mighty aura, all matches. I am quite likely I already read half of these books. Judging by his white hair, he is probably a Malfoy. He seems quite a bragger, but I believe he is a politician underneath. We shall see, the clueless boy is leaving. Did he not think that reading a few books will help? Idiot._

_POSSIBLE FAKE ALLIANCE: CLUELESS BOY_

* * *

One of the boys started getting ready to go in the shop window. Better get in. Hermione didn't like, no, didn't _value_, getting caught analysing. Other people didn't value catching her analysing, either. She stepped in the shop, just on time for the clueless boy to step out of it, walking towards what seemed like a half-giant. Straining her memory, she remembered. The man was probably Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. If he was here, then the boy was quite obviously a special case. She needed to get to know him, and quick.

She turned around to fetch her parents from the nearest display.

"I'm going in to the measuring, mum. You should probably stay outside, but I'd prefer if you were near the shop. Please?"

"Sure thing, sweetheart. I'm sure we will have plenty to look at while you get measured for robes." she was already inching towards the magical tape display in the window.

"I'm sure you will. I'll see you guys later." although her parents' behaviour sickened her, she could not help be fascinated by the tapes, which were currently busy urgently measuring the entire stand. _By themselves_. But she could not let her calm expression down. She was standing before a tactical opponent, who was assessing her skills at the very minute. Flows would not be appreciated greatly.

"Hello, Miss. I expect you want to be measured for Hogwarts robes?" Madame Malkin had startled Hermione, who was busy organising her thoughts.

"Yes, of course. Is it possible to do it right now?"

"Why, of course, my dear! Let me get my tools, and I will be back in a second. Try not to fight, you two, will you?" Hermione winced at the obvious answer. Look at her, asking the most stupid, oblivious questions she had ever heard. And all to get a woman out of a room without upsetting her. The boy did not seem to mind, though.

"Hello, _Mudblood._" he said, sniggering.

"How _dare _you call me a Mudblood?" Hermione replied promptly. She was now playing along.

"You obviously are one."

"And you obviously aren't, are you? Well, I see no problem with being a _Mudblood_, as you call it. It's all the same in Hogwarts."

"I expect you also really _wish_ you will be in Griffindor."

"It's better than being in Slytherin, which is clearly where you're headed."

"Do you have any problem with me being in Slytherin?"

"Not really. Do you have a problem with me being in Griffindor?"

"Not much, no."

"I guess we're even, then."

"Until one of us proves otherwise."

"Indeed. My name is Hermione Granger. You must be a Malfoy?"

"Draco Malfoy, pleased to meet you, Miss Granger."

"You too, Malfoy." She bent over to shake his hand, which he could not move because of the pins pinning down measurements for his robes.

"I will see you on the train then, Granger."

"You too, Malfoy."

At that, right before Madame Malkin came back and silenced them, the two most intelligent students-to-be of Hogwarts made an unspoken pact, and when you don't speak, you can't lie.


	2. The Train to Pretendville

**Thank you so so much! I have 4 followers, 1 added me to favourites, I have a review from **_**Angelic Sakura Blossom**_**, and 48 views-all that in one night! I felt I owe you guys another chapter for today, so, here goes.**

* * *

**The Train to Pretendville**

Hermione left her parents outside platform 9¾, and went in on her own instead. They were wonderful parents, but it took them too much time to get used to the wizard world. As long as Draco Malfoy was on the train, she had no time for things like this. They didn't finish challenging each other, she knew very well. Their chat at the shop had only been to check whether they were equals. Now, the were searching for weaknesses.

Jumping onto an empty compartment, Hermione got out a charm book, carefully wrapped in the _Hogwarts: a History _cover. A good act was maintained from the very start to the very end, and she intended her 'excited geek' act to be good. If anybody ever managed to get past her spells and into her truck, which they _won't_, they would find that it had been magically enlarged to contain an incredible number of books, half of which that appeared to be _Hogwarts: a History_ and a few copies of every school book they needed. All she had done was copy the covers onto the more suspicious books. For anybody around her, it will seem as if she _always _reads those books. She even memorised them, just to be certain.

Looking around quickly, she spotted Draco Malfoy coming her way, and shifted into a better reading position. He wouldn't dare challenge her one bit here, she knew that. Nobody would understand why they were talking s strangely. He is just here to check her act, and continue past her compartment to annoy some idiot past. As he looked through the window, Draco and his friends laughed and elbowed each other, but she chose to ignore them. _I'm to immersed in the book to notice you and your foolishness, _she thought. And as she predicted, Draco smirked when only she was watching, and led his goons to another compartment. Clueless boy's compartment.

When the three came out squealing, Hermione hurried in the other compartment. Was there any chance clueless boy wasn't as clueless as he seemed? Probably not. But she had to check. She had met them earlier in the journey, but neither seemed overly interesting. Only Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. The only thing that explained was why Potter had been uncomfortable with his fringe. The scar.

"Can we help you with something?" Ron said irritably.

"You better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the driver and he said we are nearly there." She said in a quick string of words. She hadn't really, but she had a watch and a brain. They couldn't know that, though. "You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!" A dash of hope was climbing up her voice. She dismissed it hurriedly.

"Scabbers had been fighting, not us." said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right – I only came here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," she said in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know that?" At that, she left. They were obviously quite irritated with her, but not for long.

* * *

HERMIONE'S ANALYSIS #2

_The boys Harry and Ron are definitely quite dumb, but I still need to befriend them. Obviously, I need an apparent friendship to keep people away from the fact that Draco and I will be friends. T won't do, for either of us._

_Draco knows his tactics quite well, and is a very good actor, but he seems quite haughty, though. He shouldn't have broken his act, even when nobody else was looking. He'll stop once he thinks he impressed me, I'm sure._

_The goons, Crabbe and Goyle, are as I said, goons. Malfoy will use them while everybody else are watching as friends, but really, I suspect he will only manipulate them. It's good he has his act sorted so well. I almost thought he won't._

_I will try to meet him at the Slytherin common room, as soon as possible. The Slytherins need to know my Griffindor self is mostly an act. The library excuse will do, especially if I use it a lot. This is all to easy._

* * *

"First years here!" she heard. The half-giant Hagrid will take them across the lake now. Time to get to Hogwarts.

Although Hermione couldn't admit it, once she looked up to the castle, she had been overwhelmed. It was magnificent.


End file.
